Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-08-20

ing rock. Umslopogaas, having already
dined, took the first turn. This was abso-
lutely, with one exception, all that we could
do towards preserving our safety. The ex-
ception was that another Of US took up po-
sition in the stern with paddle by means Of
which it was possible TO steer the canoe more
or less, and to keep her from the sides Of the
cave These matters attended to, we made
somewhat sparing meal Off the cold bucks
meat flor we did not know how long il might
have to last usl; and then feeling in rather
better spirits, gave my opinion that, serious
as it undoubtedly was, did not consider our
position altogether without hope, unless, in
deed, the natives were right, and the river
plunged straight down into the bowels of the
earth. Ii not, it was clear that il must emerge
somewhere, probably on the other side Of the
mountains, and in that case all we had to
think of was to keep ourselves alive till we
got there, wherever "theren might be. But,
Of course, as Good luguhriously pointed out,
on the other hand we might fall victims to a
hundred unsupported horrors, or the river
might 60 winding away inside the earth till
it dried up, in which case our fate would in
deed be an awful one.
"Well, let us hope for the best and prepare
ourselves for the worst said Sir Henry, who
is always cheerful and even spirited-a very
tower of strength in the time of trouble.
"We have come out of SO many queer scrapes
together that somehow | almost fancy we
shall come out Of this" he added.
This was excellent advice, and we proceed
ed to take it each in our separate ways--that
is except Alphonse, who had by now sunk into
sort of terrified stupor Good was at the
helm and Unislopogaas in the bows, SO there
do except lilo down in the canoe and think.
1t certainly was curious, and indeed almost
a weird, position to be placed in--rushing
along, as we were, through the bowels OF the
earth, borne on the bosom of a Stygian river,
something after the fashion of souls being
ferried by Charon, as Curtis said And how
dark it was tho feeble ray from our little
lamp did but serve 10 show the darkness
There in the bows sat old Umslopogaas like
Pleasure in the poem, watchful and untiriug,
the pole ready to his hand, and behind in the
shadow | could Just make out the form Of
Good peering forward at the ray of light in
order TO make out how to steer with the pad
die that he held, and now and again dipped
into the water.
"Well, welln thought |, "you have come In
search of adventures, Allan, my boy, and you
have certainly got them. At your time Of
life tool you ought to be ashamed of your
self, but somehow you are not; and awful as
it all is, perhaps you will pull through after
all /; and If you don't, why, you cannot help il,
you see And when all's said and done, an
underground river will make very oppro-
pirate burying place."
1t was nearly mid day when we made our
dive into darkness, and we had set our watch
Good and Umslopogaas) at 2, having
agreed that it should be OF a duration
of five hours At z O'clock, accordingly, Sir
Henry and went on, SIR Henry at the bow
and | at the stern, and the other two lay
down and went to sleep For three hours all
went well, Sir Henry only finding it neces-
sary once to push us Off from the side; and
that but little steering was required to keep
us straight, as the violent current did all that
was needed, though occasionally the canoe
showed tendency, which had to be guarded
against, TO veer and travel broadside on.
When had been for three hours or SO at
the helm began to notice decided change
in the temperature, which was getting
warmer. At first took no notice OF it, but
when at the expiration Of another half hour
found that it was getting hotter and hotter,
/ called TO Sir Henry and asked him il he mo-
ticed it or il it was only my imagination.
"Noticed itp' he answered, II should think so.
/ am in sort Of Turkish bath" Just about
then the others woke up gaspng and were
Obliged TO begin to discard their clothes.
Here Uulslopogaas had the advantage for
he did not wear any to speak OF except
mocha.
Hotter it grew, and hotter yet, till at last
we could scarcely breathe, and the perspira.
ton poured out of us. Half an hour more.
and though we were all now stark naked we
could hardly bear it, The place was Ike an
antechamber of the iufcrnal regions proper.
| dipped my hand inse the water, and drew it
out almost with err, it was nearly boiling
We consulted little Thermometer we had
the mercury stood at 1913 dogs. From the sur
face Of the water rose a dense cloud OF steam.
Alplonse groaned out that we were already
in purgatory, which indeed we were, though
not in the sense that he meant IL. Sir Henry
suggested that we must BIO passing near the
seat Of some underground volcanic fire, and
am inclined TO think, especially in the light OF
what subsequently occurred, that he was
right Our sufferings for some time after
this really pass my powers Of description.
We no longer perspired, for all the perspira-
tod had been sweated out Of us; we simply
lay in the bottom Of the boat, which we were
now physically incapable Of directing feeling
like bot embers, and fancy undergoing very
much tho same sensations that the poor iishlo
when they are dying on land, namely, thot Of
slow suTocaiion. Our skins began TO crack,
and thel)lood 70 throb ia our heads like the
beatingTf IA steam engine
THIS had been going OH for some time,
when suddenly the river Turned a little, aid
heard Sir Henry call out from tho bows in
hoarse, startled voice, and looking up sax a
most wonderful and awful thing. Abolt
half mile ahead Of us, and a little to tue 1T
OF the center Of the stream-which we could
now sec was about ninety feet broed--a huge
pillar like jet Of almost white fame rose from
the surface Of the water and spraug fifty feet
into the air, when it struck the roof and
spread ont some forty feet ia diameter, fall
l....Ir I.i.,. .lA..1.nl liI-n